| Horror Express (1972) |
| Directed by Eugenio Martin. Starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Alberto De Mendoza, and Telly Savalas. |
| This movie was one of those rare bargain finds that I make every now and then. I was browsing through the local two dollar store for a laugh. It's always amusing seeing such useless and tacky items as eye relaxers, and plastic plants (both good reasons to raise import tariffs). It's even more amusing to see people buying this useless garbage. So imagine my surprise when I found a bunch of five dollar dvd's next to the out of date confectionary. Most were tedious titles from the so-called hey day of Hollywood, but amongst that entire store of trash was a piece of treasure entitled Horror Express. |
| Horror Express begins with slightly foppish scientist Professor Saxton finding a frozen missing link somewhere in China, and deciding to take it back to England via the trans-Siberian express. Although he has the crate chained and padlocked securely, a thief at the station platform decides to try and pick the lock. In a scene that's highly satisfying for anyone who's ever had anything stolen, he pays for his dishonesty with his life. A mad old priest tells Saxton that there is something evil in the crate. |
| Despite this mishap, the crate is loaded aboard the train. Little do the passengers know however, that the frozen creature is very much alive, and sucks intelligence from its victims. Given that it just killed someone who knows how to pick locks, it frees itself and goes on the rampage. It's up to Saxton, and his associate Dr. Wells to try and stop it. |
| This movie is a lot better than it sounds. Being set on a train in the middle of snow covered Siberia, it had a very claustrophobic feel that probably inspired movies like Alien. Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing played the scientists, and Telly Savalas even turned up. He plays a Cossack officer with a New York accent.....I suppose the director wasn't game to argue with Kojak. |
| All in all, this was a cut above your average Cushing/Lee vehicles. It had some pretty original ideas for the time, and the monster was fairly effective as a threat. This movie reminded me a lot of The Thing , which wasn't a bad thing. I can't say much about the monster without giving away plot surprises, but it was an obvious inspiration for a lot of X-Files episodes. If you're after something a little more sedate (while still offering a few chills), then this is worth looking around for. |
| Entertainment : 3 out of 4 |
| Watchability : 2.5 out of 4 |
| Overall : 2.75 out of 4 |
| Reviewed by Blake |
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